UN Report Says No Consensus on Palestinian Bid

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The 15-member nations of the United Nations Security Council could not reach a consensus on Palestine’s application for U.N. membership, according to a draft report released Tuesday.

Council members have until Wednesday to make any changes to the draft, but it is unlikely the nations will reach an unanimous recommendation.

The nations are evenly divided into three categories: supporters of the Palestinian bid, those who oppose it, and nations who planned to abstain from the vote.

The admissions committee plans to meet Friday and it will likely approve the completed report, the Associated Press reported.

The report did not name the countries in favor nor those opposed to the Palestinians’ bid.

Palestinian officials are calling for the U.N. Security Council to act quickly on its request for full membership, according to reports.

It is unlikely the Palestinians will be approved if the bid is put to vote in the U.N. Security Council.

Adoption of the resolution requires nine votes in favor of the Palestinian bid. Reports indicate only eight votes in favor are secured.

Brazil, China, India, Lebanon, Russia and South Africa publicly backed the Palestinian efforts, while Nigeria and Gabon are expected to back the bid, AFP reported.

The bid would also require that no permanent member of the U.N. Security Council veto the request.

The United States announced last week it would veto any effort by the Palestinians for full U.N. membership. Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France are also permanent members.

Portugal, Colombia, Bosnia and France are likely to abstain from any vote, diplomats said. Germany is expected to abstain or veto the measure.

The latest report issued by the U.N. comes after Palestine was recently admitted as a member of the United Nation’s cultural agency, UNESCO.

That vote prompted the quick withdrawal of funding from the U.S. to UNESCO because of a law that prohibits sending funds to any U.N. agency that recognizes a Palestinian state before an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is reached.